20demayo 256 They Will Come
256 They Will Come
256 They Will Come
I had just returned to my trailer for some much needed rest after updating the wards on my property when a swirling golden portal appeared on the living room wall and Doctor Fate floated out.
“I can tell this is a serious matter already.” I said and she paused her floating to tilt her head at me. “You didn't introduce yourself flamboyantly and the golden parts of your costume aren't glittering or glowing like usual to draw attention.”
Doctor Fate landed and nodded. “I detected someone using a source book of evil to access one of the closer hell dimensions through one of the ley line connections you told me about that exists in New York.”
I stood up straight at that statement. “What escaped?”
“I handled several demonic spirits and imps that fled through the surprisingly large opening when it appeared. They were small fry, as the saying goes, and easily dealt with. However, I was too late to stop the two people that stepped through and closed it behind them.” Doctor Fate said.
“You saw them or know who did by their magical signature?” I asked.
“Yes, and this world is in trouble if the Agent of Chaos I detected manages to release something else from that dimension while near that infernal book.” Doctor Fate answered, her voice angry.
“Klarion the Witch Boy?” I asked and she shook her head.
“He is a Lord of Chaos, not just an agent. He is also a pain in the ass and so childish that I have no patience for his antics.” Doctor Fate said, matter of factly, and I nodded. He really was quite annoying.
“Then who?” I asked.
“John Constantine.” Doctor Fate said and her voice was resigned.
“Oh.” I said and crossed my arms. “That... changes a few things.”
Doctor Fate nodded and walked over to me to place her hands on my chest. “I normally wouldn't ask for help, since it has always been my sole duty to protect this world from demonic threats...”
I had to smile at that. “My stories about your counterpart let you see how important it is to have someone around to have your back when you need it.”
“She was still the leader and also had disciples to share the load with.” Doctor Fate agreed. “I won't ask you to become my agent or disciple; but, I know you are knowledgeable and can handle yourself. With you along, I won't have to worry too much about anything sneaking up on me and taking advantage of whatever John and his client are doing.”
“Who is his client?” I asked, just so I wasn't left ignorant.
“You met her briefly only recently, Zatanna Zatara.” Doctor Fate answered.
I huffed. “She's going after her father, even though she knows he deserves to be there after making a pact with one of the major demons and then entered their realm, accident or not.”
“I didn't realize she could be that foolish, even after all her time training at Magik University and all the warnings she has been given by the faculty and the headmasters.” Doctor Fate commented and nodded slightly. “That explains how John found and gained access to the Darkhold, if the Zatara Family has been guarding it.”
I hid my surprise that was the book she meant, because it was supposed to become Wanda Maximoff's tome of chaos magic. Oh. That might explain why she was more than a little unhinged later in life, if she learned from an infernal tome. The corrupting magic would have twisted her thinking from the very first moment she started reading from it and would have built up to full insanity after a few years.
“What do you want to do?” I asked. “You're the expert here.”
Doctor Fate patted my chest. “I'll use one of the forbidden spells to create a dimensional breach, fight off anything that tries to surge through, then we will enter that realm to hunt down and bring back those two morons.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I don't think we need to go to that extreme, especially if something is waiting over there for you to do exactly that.”
“Then what would you suggest?” Doctor Fate asked.
“Give me a few minutes.” I said and closed my eyes. I felt her move her hands along my chest and she caressed my sides. “No distractions, please.”
Doctor Fate let out a little laugh and let me go.
I concentrated on Zatanna, since I knew her magical signature, and let my clairvoyance power search her out. When I found her, I chuckled.
“What is it?” Doctor Fate asked.
“Atlas.” Doctor Fate said, her voice stern.
“Did you know it was a Dimensional Anchor?” I asked her and she nodded. I created a copy of the book, blank of course, and took it out of my inventory. “Well, it's not one anymore.”
Surprisingly, all three of them tried to snatch the book from my hands at the same time and they knocked it to the ground. It flopped open and showed off the old withered parchment pages that were completely blank.
Zatanna gasped and dropped to her knees as she caressed the book. “No no no.”
“It's gone?” John Constantine asked, shocked. He mumbled something and the book didn't glow or react at all. “It's really gone.”
Doctor Fate gave me a very pointed look, as if she knew what I just produced was a fake, and I nodded. I would explain what happened after we were back on Earth and away from this place. There was suddenly a rumbling sound, as if there was an earthquake, and then the ground trembled slightly.
“What's going on?” Constantine asked and looked around, not seeing anything.
“They're coming.” Doctor Fate said and took a fighting stance and two ritual circles formed around her wrists.
I recognized it as her spell-slinging fight style and knew we were in trouble, even if my danger sense wasn't tingling more than it had when we first stepped in. I glanced around and didn't see anything, then huffed at the obvious. I waved a hand and cast a powerful dispel spell and the surrounding area's background faded away.
“We are so fucked.” Constantine said and didn't bother trying to call up a spell and lit a cigarette instead. He took a long slow pull on it and blew it out.
As far as the eye could see, were demons of all shapes and sizes. The earthquake was their stampede towards us and now we were surrounded. The sky was almost blacked out with all the various flying creatures there, too.
One of the ground ones seemed to stand up on their hind legs and walked over to us with an unnatural grace. When they were close enough, their visage deformed and changed to reveal a woman that looked surprisingly familiar. Her long blonde hair was almost white and she gave me a very pointed look before she turned her attention to Doctor Fate.
“You will follow.” Clea, the niece of Dormammu and a sorceress from the Dark Dimension, ordered.
What the hell was she doing here? I asked myself and ignored the unintended pun as I glanced at Doctor Fate, whom nodded. I nodded back and waved a hand over Constantine and then Zatanna to clean them up and fixed their clothing.
Clea looked pleased for a moment, blanked her face, and turned around. The demons parted for her like the red sea did for Moses and Doctor Fate motioned for us to follow her and led the way. That explained why my danger sense wasn't blaring at me, at least. They weren't there to wipe out the invaders and kill us... yet, anyway. I just hoped it stayed that way.
*
Clea tried to keep her surging emotions in check. She didn't know why she was reacting so much to the strange man wearing the white costume and she fought hard to not look back to see if he walked as sexily as she though he would. His costume left little to the imagination and she was imagining a lot of different things that could be done if he wasn't wearing it.
Stop that, Clea! You need Doctor fate's help. She berated herself and shook those thoughts off. Lusting after a magic user wasn't part of the plan to return to her own dimension and reclaim what her family had lost. Why was he giving off just as much magic as Doctor Fate, though? Wasn't she supposed to be the supreme magic user on Earth? Who was this man that intrigued her so much?
“We have returned, Uncle.” Clea said when she entered the ruined castle they had taken over from the local demon lord named Mephisto and disposed of him. How dare he challenge the rightful ruler of the Dark Dimension?
“Welcome back, niece.” A giant floating head made of flaming hellfire said.
Clea opened her mouth to tell him to drop the theatrics and changed her mind. She knew the people she brought with her would see through the illusion easily and turned to face them. “May I present to you, Lord Dormammu, ruler of the Dark Dimension.”
“Atlas, hold my cape.” Doctor Fate said flung it at the handsome man, then she lunged through the giant flaming head and disappeared.
Spellfire and explosions started up and no one moved or spoke. The guests and the many demons and underlings under Dormammu's current rule exchanged looks and shrugged. None of them were dumb enough to try and stop the fight that was hidden by the now shimmering illusion.
“I bet ten gold coins it ends a draw.” Atlas said into the silence.
“I want twenty on at least one breast being exposed!” A brightly colored demon shouted from across the throne room.
Atlas chuckled, knowing how much Doctor Fate enjoyed both fighting and having sex. “I'll cover the bets and put another ten on both being out. She has great breasts.”
Clea was shocked when nearly everyone started shouting bets, even Constantine, and most of the demons offered contracts in lieu of gold. It was insane... and she wasn't going to pass up such easy money. “I bet ten that my uncle's coat is burned off, undershirt optional, and another ten he dents her helm at least once.”
The betting on the outcome of the fight was furious and continued on for quite some time.